"My whole ambition in life is to set in motion machinery which will bring noble ideas to the door of everybody, and then let men and women settle their own fate.Let them know what our forefathers as well as other nations have thought on the most momentous questions of life. We are to put the chemicals together; the crystallization will be done by nature according to her laws. Keep the motto before you "ELEVATION OF THE MASSES WITHOUT INJURING THEIR RELIGION”
- SWAMI VIVEKANANDA

Sunday, August 21, 2011

YOU CAN BURN THE WHOLE OF GITA BUT NOT THIS ONE SHLOKA

One this momentous day of Krishna Janmashtami let us imbibe the quintessential spirit of Bhagavad Gita. And non in the history of mankind {Dead, Living and Not yet born} epitomized this grand Himalayan spirit of Bhagavad Gita then Swami Vivekananda. It is a self testifying fact of acknowledgement that not before completion of two pages of Swami Vivekananda’s literature; three words stands out like very lighting itself. Those are: -

1. Life of Manliness
2. Life of Strength and
3. Life of Fearlessness

In the same stream of light, Swami Vivekananda also extols the very essence of Gita in the best possible language confineable on a sheet of paper. He says,
If one reads this one Shloka — क्लैब्यं मा स्म गमः र्थ नैतत्त्वय्युपपद्यते । क्षुद्रं हृदयदौर्बल्यं त्यक्त्वोत्तिष्ठ परंतप॥ — one gets all the merits of reading the entire Gita; for in this one Shloka lies imbedded the whole Message of the Gita.

Which means “Do not yield to unmanliness, O son of Prithâ? It does not become you. Shake off this base faint – heartedness and arise, O scorcher of enemies! ”

He not only spoke about these lines but also showcased it in action by enacting it in a nerve rattling incident which has been captured by Swami Sadashivananda in his reminiscences with Swami Vivekananda.

“He {Vivekananda} said of the French revolution and Napoleon. From the ordinary soldier, Napoleon raised himself to the pinnacle of glory through self - reliance and strong character. This topic again changed his countenance and bearing completely. He had become another person, as if had gone to the time of Napoleon in France.

He was full of vigor and vitality. His face become set with a purpose, the voice assumed a strong volume and pitch, eyes become large, and they shone with a glim of steel. He was so much excited that sometimes he knelt on the pillow and again on the carpet and sometimes leapt up even in that sitting posture. Speaking of napoleon, he himself had become like Napoleon. It was as if he himself were directing the fight of Jena and Austerlitz.

“There goes the enemy - far away - they are flying - stop them - forward the eastern brigade - do not let a soul leave the field alive ..." We have won the battle - we have conquered, " he cried in joy and something’s with one hand and sometimes with both hands raised he expressed his joy at the imaginary conquest and sang the French battle songs of victory.
His acting of Napoleon left his audience inspired and feeling as if they were his generals - Marshal Ney, Soult, Victor, Marmont, MacDonald, etc. Sadashivananda felt: -
“We were convinced of the Napoleon's power in us which could conquer the world against very heavy odds.”